Maybe I'm turning into an old fogey, but what is it with comedies these days?
I watched Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro last night and it was terrible. Sure Ferrell was hilarious, as usual, and there were some funny scenes, but so many of the "jokes" were of the crass, sexual humor sort. Does anyone think that is funny? I guess some people do or they wouldn't keep making movies that way.
I only made it 10 minutes into The 40 Year Old Virgin before I had to turn it off because it was so offensive (both in it's language and content and in its insulting posture toward me, the audience, by assuming I'd be duped into thinking such things substituted for true comedy). I only made it 5 minutes into Superbad. Walk Hard was barely tolerable, but the biggest thing is that all these movies would have been substantially better if they tempered their offensive "jokes." In their attempts to be funny they sabotaged their own movies.
I am reminded of a classic Seinfeld episode when the dentist, Tim Watley, converts to Judaism and begins to make jokes about "his people," the Jews. Jerry is asked if he is offended as a Jew, and he responds by saying he is offended as a comedian. While it is true that I am offended as a person who expects a modicum of decency, I am also offended as an appreciator of fine comedy. Shocking and offensive content does not equal funny. It is as if nobody is even trying anymore. Can I get a witness?
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1 comment:
Semi-pro was terrible - I love Will Ferrell's comedies but this one was awful. I am looking forward to Step Brother's though.
40 year old virgin would have been funnier without all the offensiveness - all those actors are really good, but the script was not. Knocked Up was really funny, I enjoyed it. And I thought superbad was funny, although, like the 40 year old virgin, didn't need to be all that - after the first 10 minutes superbad gets better.
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